…A MEASURE OF LIFE

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Monthly Archives: May 2013

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Following on two excellent singles released in the last year ‘The Mother We Share’ and ‘Recover’, Chvrches have announced that they will release their third single ‘Gun’ on July 15, both as download bundles on heavyweight 12″ vinyl, pink no less! It’s an awesome tune, which you can stream below.

Whilst there’s no release date for an LP yet, the band – Iain Cook, Lauren Mayberry and Martin Doherty – have seen their profile continue to rise, and performances at T in the Park and Reading and Leeds, amongst others, should see a continuation of this upward trajectory. They deserve it.

This is the third album by Glasgow’s Sparrow and the Workshop and their first for Edinburgh’s Song, By Toad Records. Lead by Belfast-born and Chicago-raised Jill O’Sullivan this new record sees the band developing further and hopefully about to achieve the success they have always deserved, with what is their most accessible and best album to date.

Earlier records had more of a folky feel, while this one sees them still sounding nicely dark, but with a more rocky feel, with a touch of glam (though definitely not glam rock). But think PJ Harvey circa To Bring You My Love or Cat Power when she’s not in meltdown mode, and you’re…well, a little bit closer to seeing how great this record is.

The band have been deservedly getting more coverage with the two lead-off singles from this album, the welcome return that was ‘Shock Shock’ and the even better ‘The Faster You Spin.’It’s not just about the singles, though, the opening ‘Valley of Death’ and ‘Darkness’ get the record off to a very fine start that continues through most of the record.

My first encounter with Laura Marling was back in 2009, when I saw her supporting Daniel Johnston. I hadn’t heard her debut record Alas I Cannot Swim at that point but I was impressed enough by what I heard. However, when I did hear her solo records I didn’t really connect with them. I went through some years of being swamped in submissions of singer-songwriters, to the point that I was turned off musically by those of either sex.

In fact I horrified one friend when I dismissed Ms. Marling and said ‘Look! I’ve still got my Joni Mitchell records.’ Well, sorry Amanda and sorry Laura Marling, because it would appear I have done you a great disservice. I started to wonder if this album might be more up my street when I heard the first track to do the rounds from this record ‘Master Hunter.’

And then the album arrived. And with the opening salvo of ‘Take The Night Off’ and ‘I Was An Eagle’ that this album, recorded with Ethan Johns it’s really not another singer-songwriter record. There’s a toughness here, and yet a dreaminess at the same time. Proof that intensity does not mean that you have to put the amps up to 11.

And I’ve gone back to listen to this album again, and I’m impressed by how good it is. Like a lot of records, it does dip a little about two-thirds of the way through, and (maybe this is to do with being a child of the vinyl-era, when albums tended to be shorter), but it regains it’s stride on the last two tracks ‘Little Bird’ and ‘Saved These Words.’

For whatever reason, I seemed to be about the only person who couldn’t connect with The National’s last album, High Violet. So it is with delight that I can announce that I have well and truly fallen in love with Trouble Will Find Me.

In fact, you know you’re onto a good thing with an album when you want to play the album again before you’ve even finished it. I’ve got a whole heap of albums to work through, and this album tempts me : ‘they can wait another day. Enjoy me again.’

‘Demons’ is the first track from the album to do the rounds, but it’s one of many excellent tracks on here, like the opener ‘I Should Live In Salt’ and ‘Fireproof.’ The whole album is sublime, and in fact, I knew I was falling for it when I kept trying to find negatives to balance the review…To hell with it. Superb, sublime and even when it’s melancholy, it’s not drag-you-down depressing.

According to the press bumf, the band’s singer Traceyanne Campbell has said ”Fifth In Line To The Throne’ is a song about someone in a seemingly perfect relationship but there is a dark underside to it. We wanted to sound menacing and give folks the creeps. I believe Princess Beatrice is fifth in line by the way.”
The album tracklisting is as follows:

1. Intro
2. This Is Love (Feels Alright)
3. Troublemaker
4. William’s Heart
5. New Year’s Resolution
6. Do It Again
7. Cri Du Coeur
8. Every Weekday
9. Fifth In Line To The Throne
10. I Missed Your Party
11. Break It To Me Gently
12. Desire Lines

Atlas Genius are a duo, of two brothers from Adelaide, Australia: Keith (vocals and guitars) and Michael Jeffery (drums). While most bands end up in the studio after having gigged for a while, in their case they seem to have done things a little differently. They built their own studio where they could write and record music for their newly formed band 3 years before they even played their first live show as Atlas Genius.

And this week, their first album When It Was Now, has been released in the UK. It dropped into the 17 Seconds inbox last night and the tracks that I have heard so far are mighty fine. The weather in Scotland may still be positively wintry (I mean, dammit, it’s only halfway through May) but when you hear their music, it feels like Spring and Summer are with you.

There’s no UK dates that I can see as yet, but here’s a couple of tracks to whet your appetite.

‘Centered On You’

‘Electric’

Meanwhile, unless you’ve no interest in modern music and/or have been under a rock for the last month, you’ll know that Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky from their forthcoming album Random Access Memories is pretty much unavoidable right now.

This Friday night will see a gig I was supposed to be putting on at the Dalkeith Arts Centre moved to Edinburgh’s Cabaret Voltaire.

Midas Fall will be making their return to Edinburgh, to play their first gig here for nearly three years. With them will be Tom Morris from Her Name Is Call playing a solo set, and up and coming Edinburgh band Glassbooks.

Midas Fall released their sophomore album Wilderness last month (Read review here) and rather fine it is too.

If on paper, By The Rivers might not sound a great proposition (six young white guys playing reggae) a quick blast of their music blasts away your preconceptions AND prejudices. I think I was in a cynical, grumpy mood (just for a change) when this first popped into my inbox. Within a short space of time I was genuinely uplifted.

The band take their name not from a Boney M ‘classic’ (*cough*) but because the band were formed by two guys from Leicester named after rivers, Nile Barrow and Jordan Birtles. Expanded to a six-piece, right from the off with opener ‘Vulture’ this album makes you long for proper weather and a decent summer.

And hell, even if it doesn’t shine out there (and this is Scotland I’m writing in), By The Rivers are a joy, Goddamit. In a just world, this sparkling debut would be the sound of summer. This can be an unjust world, but I’m going to do my bit and play this loud…

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ABOUT ME

ED
The rantings and ravings of a thirty-something music fan, from Edinburgh, Scotland.
I've been writing this blog since July 2006. I also write for Is This Music?, God Is In The TV and Louder Than War . I've had my own show on Fresh Air radio, DJed in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and in 2008 set up 17 Seconds Records.

Want to get in touch?

Please note: I receive a lot of emails every day encouraging me to check out new bands, but it does take a while to get through them all. Please do not send follow-up emails, it makes an already difficult job impossible.
I'm based in Scotland so the likelihood of me coming to your showcase in New York (unless you are going to provide travel, board and lodging is slim).
The best way is by this blog's own email address: seventeensecondsblog@hotmail.co.uk
...Did I mention about not sending follow-up emails?